SparrowHawk Redo

[bmoore2156]

Brock,
Have you weighed the stock strut? I am looking forward to testing my set!!
Brad

[CLS447]

Brock, Have a restful Easter & keep up the good work. I like the exhaust !

Thanks for all the great ideas you have shared !

[brs]

OK, not really the first start but almost. It's been run long enough to put a timing light on it and tell the SDS EM-5 what the magnet position is. Still have debugging to do but it seems to be running fine. Here is a video sorry about the color, everything red turned blue including me.... (thanks youtube).

http://youtu.be/C_Oxrt_e_3Y

The exhaust is not really all that loud even with no tail pipe. Can't wait to get it outside and turn up the power to see what it really sounds like.

[brs]

Here are some pictures of the welded exhaust. It still needs a tail pipe and possibly a muffler. Notice that it is not welded between the two bends but has antiseize applied. I'll probably put a few springs on to make sure it does not migrate off.

You can hear it at the video posted on my previous post (first start).

[brs]

You can tell by the number of posts that progress has accelerated. Here is what I did with the throttle control. I believe this is how the SH ver. III has it. I used a thin wall (.035"?) 1/2" 4130 tube instead of the rather large aluminum stock tube. I also moved the mounting from the fuel tank to the seat tracks.

The cable arm is from 1/2" ID 4130. I wanted it all adjustable so I could play with handle positions as well as travel. Although the center block is slit and drilled so I can tension it, I don't think it will be needed as the friction by chance is just about right.

I currently have a right throttle on the right seat but it is a small matter to change it later. On the otherhand if I can learn to fly left handed (I do in the airplane) then I might just leave it this way. One step at a time.

[okikuma]

HI Brock,

IMHO, the location of your pitot/static port tubes on the nose wheel strut is a less than ideal choice. Only because the greater chance of picking up foreign material and clogging up the tubes.

Here's a link to a previous post I had written concerning the same subject.

Wayne

http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/sho...ght=pitot+tube

[brs]

Originally Posted by okikuma

the location of your pitot/static port tubes on the nose wheel strut is a less than ideal choice. Only because the greater chance of picking up foreign material and clogging up the tubes.

Thanks Wayne. I had considered the bug and grit factor and decided to live with it for now. A clogged pitot is not all that serious in a gyro with an expirenced pilot who knows his machine, the tubes are really easy to clean out if need be. I like the location because in a nose up climb or a steep decent the tube stays in clear air. Can't say that about mounting it on top of the enclosure. Really my favorite location is on the mast just below the rotor head but I'm too cheap to buy that much hose.

I might just mount it on the tail to be sure I can keep my speed up all the time. :-) Ah, but that'd be too much hose too.

[CLS447]

Brock, what is the apprx cost of the exhaust parts so far ?

[brs]

Originally Posted by CLS447

Brock, what is the apprx cost of the exhaust parts so far ?

I'll try to work up a parts list including what I plan to use to finish the exhaust with.

Sent from my GT-P7310 using Tapatalk 2

[brs]

Battery: Yesterday I had a charger on the 'shredo' battery as I had run it down working with the engine and avionics. I made the mistake of using a cheap unregulated motorcycle charger. Although I was keeping an eye on the voltage, and it was taking it's time getting charged, I left the hangar having forgotten to unplug. Had to make a return trip back later in the evening to disconnect it when I found the voltage had jumped to 18 volts! After some investigation and phone calls I've learned that the battery is ok. These LiFe batteries are quite particular about voltage. I now have a special computerized charger that can balance each cell to within 50 microvolts and then shut off. Quite a learning curve going from Pb to LiFe.

Pre-rotator: Besides having some bolts that were too short (like the rest of the machine) I wanted to get more leverage on the pre-rotator clutch so I did not wear out my hand during startup. I decided to apply a little physics to double my grip. I removed the lever (first picture) and cut it off and installed a pulley (second picture). I used a metal pulley made, I think, for sliding closet doors. The third picture shows how the cable will be run. Needs paint but this should give you the idea. The clutch plate really needs to move no more than about 1/4" so I think there should still be plenty of travel on the pre-rotator control.

Parking Brake: Installing the parking brake is the first step before installing the hydrolic brake lines. Glad to have this done. Put a lot of thinking into this but in the end the mounting solution was simply to drill and tap two #10x32 holes in the keel. It's amazing how the actual work often takes just minutes but the thought process before can take days or is that daze?

[brs]

This might interest those of you still using the Super-trap mufflers.

My new light weight (2 lbs 13oz) muffler arrived the other day from "Burns Stainless". It is 14" long overall and 4.5" diameter. With it I ordered a lb of "SCROBBLE". This is just stainless pealings and is used to replace the packing in the muffler. Does not come appart like fiberglass or ceramic mat. I think this "scrobble" would work just fine in the SuperTrapps.

Don't think I'll install it right away, though, as the muffler is already packed with ceramic, and if it comes out, it just exits the tail pipe.

Other progress: I found a shop who could make the ball and socket pipes I wanted - took quite a bit of looking around. I'm going to put these between two 45 degree bends. The third picture is my setup for purge welding one of these which I did this morning. I found in my junk/treasure drawer some spring clamps designed for rotax ball and socket exhuast parts. Looks like they will work nicely with this 2" pipe I have. Nice surprise.

Last: Had to put down my dog yesterday (cancer). We are all very sad about this and he (Wrigley) is very much missed.

[WHY]

HI Brock

First, I am so sorry to hear of your "family" loss. When I take in a so called "animal" as a "so called pet", in my house it changes from "animal" to FAMILY !! I will spend as much money on them as if they were my kids,(cause they are really "adopted" kids to me). When I see animal abuse by stupid A$$HOLES, well it's just a good thing they are protected by law. I'm old, ill tempered and have a great imagination.

Now for the rest of your post. Great info, and the info on the site for the ball/socket parts, well I have been looking for a place like this for months, and the scrobble is a great idea as well.

Tony

PS how did your describe your order to get the ball/socket setup ??

[brs]

It's on their website. Two separate parts, one male the other female.

(here is the direct link: Just looked it up)
http://www.mandrel-bends.com/catalog...ions-forms-45/

[Russ Hobbs]

Brock

Sue had a yellow lab names Wrigley, she lost Wrigley to cancer as well. We have a big black lab now named Buddy. He lives up to his name, and is my best Bud. Buddy is getting up there in age and I worry about losing him all the time. Very sorry for your loss.
Russ

[CLS447]

Brock, I am sorry to hear about Wrigley, I know that he will be missed. I am still missing mine. My new boy, Iko, is alot of fun though.

Spruce has ball & socket joints, I used one for my last exhaust.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...balljoints.php